2010 Slayer SXC 50 Build (Pictures and Video!)

Hello Rocky Mountain friends,
I just got a 2010 SXC 50 frame from JensenUSA.
I have some old but mostly new components to build it up.
Here we go, I'm super excited!
First impressions of the frame are;
-the paint and details are amazing! Especially the carbon seat stays.
-it looks a little smaller than I thought an 18 would be, I normally ride a 19 (5-11) but I'm sure it will be fine.
Happiness on a blanket:
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Fork is a 2007 Fox Talas RL (100/120/140) with some World Cup decals on it (I'm a poser, I know. Haha)
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Juicy 3s. Not the best reviewed brakes but I've had them on other bikes and they worked great and you can't beat the price.
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Mavic CrossRide Disc and some WTB Weirwolf 2.1 tires. As for the wheels, again not the best ratings here on MTBR but they were in the budget. The Weirwolf's are about the best rolling tire I've had so I had to get them again. (only $12 each on .com)
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Truvativ Stylo crankset and BB. Came off my 2005 GT I-Drive 5 and it looks practically new for being 7 years old.
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Here is my progress for day 1
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I ordered the wrong BB tool so I'm just going to take it in to the LBS rather than wait for the return shipping process.
First thing I noticed in my progress today is the handlebar back sweep is not going to work on a bike that's borderline too small.
I'm going to trade it with my SS 29ers DH bar (Deity Drity30).
Hope you enjoyed the day 1 photo journal, I sure did!

I'm 6'-1" and the 19" was just right, so at 5'-11" you should be right in the ballpark unless you have an unusually long torso or arms.

You're likely going to want to look for a longer fork if steep descents are in your itinerary, the A2C height on a 140mm x32mm fork is a bit short for a nicely balanced SXC. The bike was designed around a 150-160mm 36mm stanchion fork which will be almost 30mm taller than your TALAS. That's quite a difference in head angle, and it will likely exaggerate the short cockpit feeling. The RS Lyrik Solo Air is a nice match for this bike, as is the Fox 36 Float 160.

Thanks for the advice Rocky.
Unfortunately for me, a longer fork will also mean a new wheelset as almost all 160mm forks have a 15 or 20 mm thru axle.
Which equals lots of money for 30mm. Maybe someday...

If you run a bit more sag in the rear you can help compensate a bit for the short fork. Just as long as you know that the 30mm difference in A2C height will mean a lower BB and 1.5 degree steeper head angle, and also a steeper seat tube angle by about 0.5 degree so it will quite a difference in balance from the intended setup on the bike, so don't form opinions on the handling from that configuration as it won't be representative of what the bike can do.

With a 160mm front fork the bike is like a Hummer, you can just point it and it rolls over anything.

Here's a question:
I installed the crown race supplied in the box. It's one I've never seen before with a separation in it (a gap that allows it to be spread) if I'm not being clear I'll remove the fork and take a picture.
Well when tightening the fork/ headset it is either too loose (allows movement within headset) or too tight (difficult to steer)
Any ideas?

The FSA split race headsets normally work OK as long as it is the right one to match the headset bearing, the angle on the bottom bearing race keeps the crown race in the right place without binding. Maybe just double check the way that split race sits in the headset to make sure it's on right way up and that the bevel angle matches the bearing

You truly know everything Rocky!
I just slid the race on not knowing it had a "groove" to fit in.
Also, thank you again for the PM info earlier.
If anyone else is looking for the manual for the slayer or torque specs Rocky supplied me with these:
Tech specshttp://www.bikeaction.de/media/pdf/2...s_Handbuch.pdf
Manualhttp://www.silverfish-uk.com/cms-fil...22b542da25.pdf
I switched to the Dirty30 bars and it seems a lot better. Also routed rear der cable.
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Day 2
Discovered what I thought was the crown race is actually the part that goes on top of the headset to lock the fork on (what's this called?)
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And apparently the box shipped from Jensen didn't contain a crown race.*
Bummer
I'll have to call them after the weekend.

Moving on,
Another speed bump; the rear brake hose isn't long enough to go through the intended routing mounts, so I had to get creative. Seems like it will work fine.
Also the supplied hose clamps are too loose so I used zip ties.
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Ok so brakes and grips are good to go.
I'm definitely digging the DH bar more than the flat bar.
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Next step is the LBS on Tuesday for BB install and need to hunt down a crown race somewhere.

That would be the Aheadset compression lock ring. That's frustrating not to get the crown race.

With the brake hose routed through there, make sure you depressurize the shock and run the suspension to full travel just to make sure you know where the brake hose will end up so it doesn't get hung up on the front derailleur.

Another step forward.
BB, crankset, chain and pedals installed
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I found the correct BB tool at performance bike.
Paying 15 for the tool feels much better than paying 20 for the labor.
I tried to install the Blackspire Stinger but wouldn't work with the big chainring on.
So then attempted to install the Truvativ bash guard to replace the big ring but lucky me, no extra long bolts supplied to install it.
(E13 bashguards come with hardware, not sure why Truvativ doesn't.)
Im going to scratch the idea of 2x9 chain guide/ bash guard for now and run 3x9.
As for front derailleur:
Any idea if this will work? (there's no size listed)http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/166...Derailleur.htm
Now to attempt setting up a rear derailleur for the first time.
Uh oh..

Yeah, I went through every square inch of the box. No crown race. I even dissected all the packaging with no luck. There was a plastic bag empty in there and all the small parte were all over the place.

You need a low clamp front derailleur. If you're going to run a triple you'd want to use a different derailleur than if you were going to run a double ring. The Double ring FD has a smaller cage for less likelihood of tire or swingarm interference, and the cage fits down closer to the bashguard so the derailleur doesn't look like it's wading through water and trying not get its pant legs wet. The double ring FD will fit up to a 36T ring/bash

When positioning the rear derailleur on the frame stub, you want to double check that the swingarm does not touch the clamp on the derailleur frame stub (especially important when using a double ring crank setup), so either depressurize the shock and compress the suspension fully, or remove one end of the shock from the frame mount to allow the suspension to compress fully.

First Ride Report

Frame and Fox RP23 were stellar!
It was my first experience with pro pedal and I'm now a big fan. I switched it on for the uphills only and didn't feel any "bob" at all. Not even while mashing like on my single speed.
The bike has been described by others as having a "bottomless rear travel feel on the descents" and I totally agree.

Component group; no issues at all. Everything felt great.
I still haven't got a front derailleur so it took my old top pull that won't work with the frame and just mounted it and set it to stay on the center chainring.
Chain never came off once, ghetto but functional.

My .com watching addiction payed off again. Caught a brand new, 2010 Fox Talas 150RL (a rare white version) for $420.
So that equals a need for a new wheelset to accommodate the 15mm thru axle..Forte Xenduro's are my solution.

Other changes: replaced the 7 year old chain with a SRAM PC971 and also replaced the rear derailleur cable.

That looks like a very nice build.
Personally, my only concern would be with that short rear brake cable. I can imagine that it would do some damage to both the paint and the brake hose over time if left in that position.

I'm not too familiar with the Forte Xenduro wheels that you mentioned, but if the rear is available as a 10mm thru-bolt version I would strongly recommend getting that over a standard QR rear. When I switched from the stock wheels on my SXC to a 10mm thru-bolt EX1750 there was noticeable improvement in rear stiffness.
I had a pair of those Crossride wheels on my HT, they're were not bad overall but they were heavy and a bit narrow for wider tyres. A switch to a lighter wheelset offers a big, obvious improvement in the handling of the bike.

Another thing to consider is some form of protection for the drive-side chainstay - be it an inner tube wrapped around the stay or a neoprene protector to keep the chainstay looking in good condition. It'd be a shame to damage it when the rest of the bike looks so good.

I have a lot of time on my hands..

I wanted to tie in the fork with the rest of the bike and I have an endless supply of vinyl in every color. (if anyone wants some, PM me. I'll send it out gratis/ you pay postage)
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That old TALAS sold in one day (I think it was the world cup decals, haha) so I ordered a set of Elixir Rs and an XT front derailleur.